Hardanger Gjestegård

Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords


Dating from 1898, this chocolate-box guesthouse feels like sleeping inside a museum, with handpainted furniture, wood-panelled walls and cabin beds straight out of a Grimm Brothers fairy tale. Once a fruit-and-juice processing factory, it's a lovely, old-fashioned place to stay; some rooms are in the original house, others in an annex. It's 10km west of Utne on Fv550.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Bergen & the Southwestern Fjords attractions

1. Hardanger Folk Museum

2.9 MILES

This excellent open-air museum is a repository for the cultural heritage of the Hardanger region. Wander through its collection of historic homes, boats,…

2. Kinsarvik Stone Church

7.05 MILES

Built in around 1180, this is one of Norway's oldest stone churches. It was restored in the 1960s; the walls still bear traces of lime-and-chalk paintings…

3. Grieg's Hut

7.46 MILES

The one-time retreat of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg is in the garden of Hotel Ullensvang.

4. Lofthus Church

7.98 MILES

This stone church dates back to 1250 (although the tower was added in the 1880s) and has some fine stained-glass windows. It's surrounded by an…

5. Steinstø Fruktgard

8.68 MILES

A high summer pilgrimage to this farm, a short distance east of Øystese, rewards with strawberries ripe in June and a bounty of raspberries, cherries,…

6. Hardanger Skyspace

11.58 MILES

US light artist James Turrell is known for his fascination with light, and has created a series of 'skyspaces' around the world, which are geometrical…

7. Kunsthuset Kabuso

11.63 MILES

The Kunsthuset Kabuso runs a fascinating program that features big-name contemporary artists (Damien Hirst, Matthew Barney and James Turrell have all…

8. Ingebrigt Vik Museum

11.64 MILES

Under the direction of the Kunsthuset Kabuso, this permanent collection of the work of Ingebrigt Vik (1867–1927), one of Norway's best-loved sculptors, is…